Yin Yisheng Dui Qin Bo (阴饴甥对秦伯) — Zuo Qiuming
A free printable Chinese handwriting worksheet for Zuo Qiuming's classical Chinese essay "Yin Yisheng Dui Qin Bo (阴饴甥对秦伯)", with pinyin, stroke-order guides, and Chinese writing practice grids.
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Original Text
十月,晋阴饴甥会秦伯,盟于王城。秦伯曰:“晋国和乎?”对曰:“不和。小人耻失其君而悼丧其亲,不惮征缮以立圉也。曰:‘必报仇,宁事戎狄。’君子爱其君而知其罪,不惮征缮以待秦命。曰:‘必报德,有死无二。’以此不和。”秦伯曰:“国谓君何?”对曰:“小人戚,谓之不免;君子恕,以为必归。小人曰:‘我毒秦,秦岂归君?’君子曰:‘我知罪矣,秦必归君。贰而执之,服而舍之,德莫厚焉,刑莫威焉。服者怀德,贰者畏刑,此一役也,秦可以霸。纳而不定,废而不立,以德为怨,秦不其然。’”秦伯曰:“是吾心也。”改馆晋侯,馈七牢焉。
Pinyin
shí yuè, jìn yīn yí shēng huì qín bó, méng yú wáng chéng。 qín bó yuē:“ jìn guó hé hū?” duì yuē:“ bù hé。 xiǎo rén chǐ shī qí jūn ér dào sàng qí qīn, bù dàn zhēng shàn yǐ lì yǔ yě。 yuē:‘ bì bào chóu, níng shì róng dí。’ jūn zǐ ài qí jūn ér zhī qí zuì, bù dàn zhēng shàn yǐ dài qín mìng。 yuē:‘ bì bào dé, yǒu sǐ wú èr。’ yǐ cǐ bù hé。” qín bó yuē:“ guó wèi jūn hé?” duì yuē:“ xiǎo rén qī, wèi zhī bù miǎn; jūn zǐ shù, yǐ wèi bì guī。 xiǎo rén yuē:‘ wǒ dú qín, qín qǐ guī jūn?’ jūn zǐ yuē:‘ wǒ zhī zuì yǐ, qín bì guī jūn。 èr ér zhí zhī, fú ér shè zhī, dé mò hòu yān, xíng mò wēi yān。 fú zhě huái dé, èr zhě wèi xíng, cǐ yī yì yě, qín kě yǐ bà。 nà ér bù dìng, fèi ér bù lì, yǐ dé wèi yuàn, qín bù qí rán。’” qín bó yuē:“ shì wú xīn yě。” gǎi guǎn jìn hóu, kuì qī láo yān。
English Meaning
With the Duke of Jin a captive of Qin, his envoy Yin Yisheng meets Duke Mu at Wangcheng. Is Jin united? — 'No. The common people mourn their lord and arm for revenge; the gentry know his fault and await Qin's judgment.' What does Jin expect? — 'The petty say he will never return; the wise say Qin captured him for defiance and will release him in generosity — to accept him and not restore him would turn kindness into enmity; Qin would not do that.' Duke Mu agrees, lodges the captive honorably, and sends seven cattle-feasts.
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About the Text
A Zuo Tradition diplomatic dialogue. With his duke a prisoner, the envoy's two-voice answer — the people's rage, the gentry's reason — talks a triumphant enemy into magnanimity.
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